Minneapolis — Police have arrested a 34-year-old man they believe was responsible for a deadly mass shooting late Tuesday night in Minneapolis’ Midtown Phillips neighborhood.
According to Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara, James Ortley was arrested Thursday in connection with a shooting on Tuesday night in the 1500 block of East 25th Street that killed three people and injured two others. O’Hara said Ortley was arrested around 3:30 p.m. Thursday on the 1600 block of South 4th Street, but he added that more people could have been involved.
“This has been a significant step forward in what has been an intense and fast-moving investigation into the most violent incident this city has suffered this year,” O’Hara told the press. “While this arrest marks a major breakthrough, our work is far from over.”
The U.S. Marshals Service NorthStar Fugitive Task Force and the FBI Minneapolis Field Office SWAT Team assisted in the arrest. According to the US Marshals, Ortley was also wanted on a federal warrant for illegal firearm possession.
“While the work is far from done, this arrest is a significant step forward,” stated Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey. “And it is a message to those wishing to do harm or violence — that message is very clear, ‘This will not be tolerated in our city.'”
Minneapolis Police responded to the area of 25th and Bloomington around 11:55 p.m. Tuesday following multiple Shot Spotter activations. When officers arrived, they discovered one man dead on the sidewalk and a man and woman inside a vehicle who did not survive. Two others were injured, one critically, and were transported to Hennepin Healthcare. Police said they believed the shooting was “targeted” and could have been gang-related.
The shooting was one of several deadly shootings in the city within 24 hours.
